1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for separating electronic components, provided with: A) sawing means for sawing the electronic components, comprising: two parallel and rotatable drive shafts with saw blades mounted on the shafts; and a saw manipulator for engaging, carrying and displacing the electronic components relative to the saw blades, and B) positioning means for aligning the electronic components for separating before they are fed to the sawing means, comprising at least one camera for detecting the position of supplied electronic components for separating.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The separation of assembled electronic components has diverse applications. Examples are the dividing of wafers and the dividing of carriers (also referred to as lead frames or boards) with electronic components optionally encapsulated with for instance a cured epoxy. The separated electronic components are usually only several millimeters in size, wherein there is a continuing trend toward further miniaturization. Depending on the conditions, use is made in the known method of separation of sawing machines with one or more rotating saw blades with which the products for processing are sawn through. The assembly of the electronic components is picked up by a manipulator, held fast, positioned and displaced relative to the saw blade along the desired cutting lines, along which the assembly is therefore sawn. The electronic components are held in place by the manipulator during sawing thereof.
Because a large number of parallel saw cuts usually have to be made in a product, it is known to apply a separating device with two parallel saw blades which are driven by two different spindles such that the mutual distance between the saw blades is adjustable subject to the dimensions of the products to be processed and the manner in which the saw cuts are made. The existing devices function well, but the existing sawing equipment is relatively costly and the capacity thereof is limited.
The present invention has for its object to provide an improved device and method of the type stated in the preamble, with which a substantial increase in capacity can be realized at limited additional cost.